NAME:________________________________
Period:______
Newtons’s First Law – Review Questions
1. For each of the following situations, identify what creates one of the forces that creates the motion
described (there may be many).
a. A flag flaps back and forth at the top of a flagpole.
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b. A soccer ball is passed from one player to another.
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c. A large piece of hail falls toward the ground.
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d. The ocean tide goes from high to low at the seashore (you might have to do a little research to get
this one if you don’t know already). ________________________________________________
2. Which has more inertia—a shopping cart full of groceries or an empty shopping cart? ________________
Why?_________________________________________________________________________________
3. In the following situation, which diagram (A, B, C, or D) best illustrates the net force experienced by the
cart when the weight pulls downward?
4. Forces contribute to the net force on a car rolling down a ramp.
a. Which force supports the car’s weight?
__________________
b. Which force accelerates the car down the ramp?
__________________
c. Which force acts against the motion of the car?
__________________
5. Imagine whirling a ball on a string over your head. Suppose the knot holding the ball comes loose and the
ball is instantly released from the string.
What path does the ball take after leaving the string? ________
Use Newton’s first law to explain your answer.
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